Coating apparatus and method



E. l.. WATROUS, DECD.

A. B. WATROUS, EXECUTRIX,

GOATING APPARATUS AND METHOD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. I9I9.

' Patented Aug. 24,1920.

lllllllllll I". f IIIIIIW'I uarrae STATES PATENT GFFIGE.

EDWARD L. WATROU'S, DECEASED, LATE OF EL PASTO, TEXAS, BY AGNES B. WATB-OUS, EXECUTRIX, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

COATING APPARATUS AND METHOD.

Lawaai.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pafented Allg. 241, 1920.

Application filed September 20, 1919. Serial No. 325,254.

To alli/17mm it may concern.' I

formerly residing at El Paso, in the county' of El Paso and State of Texas, did invent new and useful Improvements-in Coating Apparatus and Methods, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to a coating apparatus and method and more particulaly to such as applied to galvanizing or othlirwise coating lengthy materials such as pipes, bars, and the like.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide an improved method and apparatus for coating elongated articles such v as pipes, bars, or the like, and of such nature that the pipes, bars or the like may be placed in a rack, the rack and its contents dipped in the coating bath and then subjected to centrifugal force whereby the pipes, bars or the like will present a smooth surface free from undesirable protuberances or excrescences; further to provide novel means for subjecting the freshly coated said articles to centrifugal force to throw ofi' all excess coating material therefrom while still plastic; further, to substantially eliminate the necessity of counterweights for the revolving parts; further, to provide avremovable rack for holding the articles while 'being dipped and which with its contents can be quickly and readily applied to or removed from the shaft; further, to form such rack of spaced apart plates of substantially disk formation and having apertures to receive the articles being treated; further, to form said plates of progressively increasing diameter and an additional plate to act as a thrust plate; further, to provide novel means for locking the rack to the rotating shaft; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will later more fully apear. A p This invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modication and chan e without departing from the spirit of t 1e invention.

As stated in a co-pendin application, Se'

rial No. 212,908,1of which t is constitutes an improvement, pipes, bars and the like when galvanized or otherwise coated by the formerly known methods and apparatus have possessed certain objectionable features,

among the more prominent of which would be the formation of projections and rough surfaces upon the exterior of the pipe,due to the coating material gathering on the `underside of the pipe and there solidifying. The present invention' entirely overcomes these objections and makes possible the coating of such pipes, bars, and the like in a manner that results in the formation of an entirely smooth coating surface devoid of the above mentioned objectionable projections and rough portions. I

Referring' to the drawings, Figure l is'a side elevation of the improved device showing the pipes, bars or the like in dotted lines.

F ig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of Fig. l taken through lthe shaft between the end plate and the right hand journal box and support.

In the drawings, it will be seen that there are provided suitably spaced standards or supports l, in which is journaled the shaft 2' carrying upon one of its ends the pulley 3, over which travels the belt 4 driven from any suitable source of motive power.. Detachably mountedy upon the shaft 2 is the rack designated generally at A and comprising the spaced apart plates 5 and the end plate or thrust plate 6 all of which plates are rigidly secured together in suitably spaced relation by means of the rods 7 carrying thereon the threaded nuts 8 in position to clamp between'each pair of nuts one of the above mentioned plates.

The plates 5 are formed with a suitable number of perforations 9 and a slot l0 of sufficient width to slip over the shaft 2, and of such a depth that when the end vof the slot contacts with the shaft 2 the plates and the shaft 2 will be concentric. Along the marginal portions of the slot 10 the plates 5 are, provided with a strengthening flange 11', which flange from the mid-position of the end of the slot continues diametrically to the circumference of the circle, on which the plate is formed. The thrust plate 6 is formed similarly to plates 5 with the exception that it does not have the a ertures 9, and is reversely positioned on tie shaft 2 that is so as to bring its plane face toward the nearest plates' 5.

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By virtue of the slots 10 the rack which, as stated above, comprises plates 5 and 6 rigidly secured together by the rods 7 can be positioned upon the shaft 2 or removed there-from as a unit when desired. For the purpose of securely locking the rack A to the shaft 2 I have provided the pivoted locking lever 12, of which there may be any suitable number desired. This locking lever, as seen .in lFig-2, is pivotally mounted in a suitable slot in the shaft 2 by means of the pivot 13, about which it may rotate in a plane passing -longitudinally through .the center of the shaft. lThe upper or locking end of this lever is bifurcated as shown `at 14, thus providing a catch that may straddle that portion of the flange extending from the slot to the circumference of the plates. This feature gives" Aadditional resistance to any tendency of the rack to rotate with relation .to the shaft. Thelower end 15 of the locking lever 12 it is to be noted extends a substantial distance to one side of the pivot 13, as a result of which this end 15 will under the action of centrifugal force during rotation of the shaft 2 tend to move outwardly,

and thus more securely force the bifurcated catch 14 into engagement with the upper surface of the flange 11 at the end of the slot 10.

In the operation of the improved apparatus and the carrying out of the method of galvanizing pipe, bars, or the like, the pipes, bars, or the like are placed inthe rack A by inserting themthrough the apertures 9 until their ends come in contact with the thrust plate 6, which will. as is obvious bring the ends in valinement. After the apertures have been filled with pipes, bars, or the like the entire rack and its contents will lbe dipped in a. coating bath, 'such as spelter when galvanizing, or other suitable bath for other forms of coating, after which the rack and its contents will be withdrawn from the bath and placed upon the shaft 2 by passing the slots 10 thereover. As the portion of the flanges 11 at the ends of the slots 10 contact with-the beveled faces of the catch 14, this catch as is obvious will be forced away to permit thisfiange to pass under the bottom edgeof the lips of these catch, after which .by the force of gravity acting upon the ends l5 the catches will automatically move into locking position, thus firmly securing the rack upon the shaft and causing it to rotate therewith when said shaft is rotated. The shaft will then be rotated at a suitable speed to throw, by action of centrifugal force, any

. excess coating material from the pipes, bars,

or the like as a result of which the finished coating remaining onl the pipes when .the operation is completed will be smooth and free from undesirable projections or excrescences. Upon completion of the operation, the locking levers 12 may be released and the rack and its contents removed from the shaft preparatory to the removal of the finished pipes, bars, or the like and repetition of the coating operation.

It will be noted that the location of the apertures 9 within the plates 5 is such as to eliminate the necessity of any additional counterweights due to the substantially equal distribution of weight in the revolving parts. While the apertures are shown as being round, it is obvious that, if desired, they may be made of any other configuration whereby to accommodate bars of other shapes such for instancev as angle bars, or the like.l It will be further understood that if desired a suitable shield may be positioned around the revolving rack A whereby to prevent the undesirable flying of spelter or other coating material.

It is to be further noted that the plates 5 progressively increase in diameterv and that the apertures 9 are so alined that the pipes, bars, or the like when inserted therein will lie at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 2. The purpose of this is, when pipes are being galvanized or otherwise coated, to cause any of the coating material that may have entered the inside of the pipe to be thrown out of the end thereof, as a result of the centrifugal action, to which they are subjected. Should these pipes be placed parallel ywith the shaft, any coating material that may enter thel inside thereof would' obvious, will be forced out of the end of the pipe, due to the centrifugal force set up by the rotation of the apparatus.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the class described means for subjecting freshly coated pipes, bars or the like to centrifugal action, said means comprising a rotatable shaft, a plurality of perforated disk-like plates spaced on said shaft and'each provided with a plurality of spaced perforations, and means for rotating said shaft and plates.

2. In apparatus of the class described a rotatable shaft, a' plurality of plates spaced along said shaft and provided with perforations adapted to receive pipes, bar. or the like, the location of the apertures boing such that when said pipes, bars or the like are placed therein and said shaft and plates rotated any necessity for countel'weights will be eliminated, andV means for rotating said shaft. t Y

3. In apparatus for subjecting freshly coated pipes, bars or the like to centrifugal action, a rotatable shaft, a detachable rack including a plurality of members adapted to hold said articles while being dipped and then immediately placed on said shaft with its freshly coated contents the articles to be coated extending through perforations in successive rack members, and means for rotating said shaft, rack and contents.

4. In apparatus for subjecting freshly coated pipes, bars or the like to centrifugal action, a rotatable shaft, a rack for holding said articles while being dipped, said rack having means to permit it being readily placed on said shaft with its freshly coated pipes, bars or the like, means for locking said rack to said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft, rack and contents.

In apparatus for subjecting freshly coated pipes, bars or the like to centrifugal action, a rotatable shaft, a rack for holding said articles While being dipped, said rack having means to permit its being readily placed on said shaft'ivith its freshly coated pipes, bars or the like, means for locking said rack to said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft, rack and contents, said locking means being more positively urged into locking engagement with said rack as the speed of rotation increases.

G. In apparatus for subjecting freshly coated pipes, bars and the like to centrifugal action, a shaft, a rack for receiving they articles to be coated and adapted to be readily placed upon or removed from said shaft, said rack comprising a plurality of perforated spaced apart plates, an imperforate thrust plate Vforming one end of said rack, and means for rigidly securing said perforated plates and thrust plate in spaced apart relation, and means for rotating said shaft.

7. In apparatus of the class described a shaft, a rack detachably mounted on said shaft, said rack comprising a plurality of rigidly connected spaced apart apertured plates and a thrust plate, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said shaft and having a catch for locking said rack to said shaft and an extended end adapted to be urged outwardly by centrifugal force to increase the locking action of said catch, and means for rotating said shaft.

8. In apparatusV of the class described a shaft, a rack detachably mounted on lsaid shaft, said rack comprising spaced apart plates having alined apertures, said plates progressively increasing in diameter from one end of said rack to the other and being rigidly connected together, and means for rotating said shaft.

9. In apparatus of the class described a shaft, a. rack detachably mounted on said shaft, said rack comprising spaced apart plates having alined apertures, said plates progressively increasing in diameter from one end of said rack to the other and being rigidly connected together, and means for rotating said shaft, said rack also comprising at one end a thrust plate, the plates of rotating said shaft, said rack also comprising at one end a thrust plate, the plates of said rack having alined slots adapted to take over said shaft, releasable means for locking said rack to said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a shaft, a rack detachably mounted on said shaft, said rack comprising spaced apart plates having alined apertures, said plates progressively increasing in diameter from one end of said rack to the other and being rigidly connected together, the apertures being arranged in the plates in the form of frustums of cones, and means for rotating said shaft.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a shaft, a rack detachably mounted on said shaft, said rack comprising spaced apart plates having alined apertures, said plates progressively increasing in diameter from one end of said rack to the other and being rigidly connected together, the apertures 4being arrangedin plates in a frusto-conical form, and means for rotating said shaft, said rack also comprising at one end a thrust plate, the plates of said rack having alined slots adapted to take over said shaft.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a shaft, a rack detachably mounted on said shaft, said rack comprisingvspaced apart plates having alined apertures, the apertures being arranged in the plates in the form of a frustum of a cone, and means for rotating said shaft.

14. The method of galvanizing pipes, bars, and the like which comprises placing in a rack the pipes, bars, and the like, dipping said rack and contents in a coating bath, removing them from said bath and immediately placing said rack and contents on a shaft and rotating said shaft, rack, and contents to throw any excess coating material from said pipes, bars, or the like to produce a smooth coating surface on the articles to be coated. In Witness Whereof,.I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of one Witness.

MERRILL M. BLACKBURN. 

